We were out in the mango orchards late last night with Wildlife Biologist and bat expert Annie Band mist netting and echo-locating bats. The mosquitos were awful and the hurricane has greatly reduced the number of bats around. But right after dark we caught a young female fruit bat which Hayley and Hunter helped remove from the net and take measurements of before Hayley held it and released it! The bat was so cute that both kids were completely unafraid of it and were very comfortable helping and holding it. A little of the wing edge was clipped to do genetic work on them and no more than they would normally lose while foraging in the limbs of the trees. The other excitment of the evening was when a large Tree Frog jumped onto Nana's forehead then fell to the ground with a thump! We also heard freetail bats on the echo locator as they zipped around overhead. A beautiful, clear star-lit night with good friends out in the middle of no where catching bats. Mmmmm.
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